![[Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_2791.jpg?w=534&h=462&crop=1 "The Safety Triangle: Balancing Skill, Knowledge, and Judgment in Flying")
![A SubSonex personal jet in aerobatic flight. Thea design will expand with a two-place model kit in the months ahead. [Credit: Sonex Aircraft]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SubSonex_Acro.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Sonex Reopens")
![A CubCrafter’s Carbon Cub headed to Sun ‘n Fun in the time-honored tradition. [Credit: CubCrafters]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Carbon-Cub-UL.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Sun ‘n Fun 2026 Highlights: Electric RV-10, Modular Avionics, and MOSAIC")
![Ten hours of dual instruction in a tailwheel-equipped aircraft is usually required for proficiency. [Credit: AdobeStock]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/AdobeStock_354747155.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Learning How to Drag Your Tail")
![The alternative to bending down as the propeller is pulled through the compression stroke is to keep the back straight and bend the knees slightly, stepping away in a crouch. [Credit: LeRoy Cook]](https://www.kitplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IMG_1519-scaled.jpg?w=265&h=198&crop=1 "Manual Starting Methods")
Pack Your Spotted Cow and Go
I heard Jester’s coarse voice and felt the impact of each syllable, “You. Nev-er. Leave. Your wingman.” I’m foreshadowing the past, though, so let...
Old School Solution
It doesn’t seem that long ago, but maybe it was, that the essence of a sport airplane was a biplane.
An Icon Passes
Chris Heintz left behind a legacy of innovative, functional design and successful kit-company strategies that relied on keeping the designs simple and costs low.
Barriers to Entry
Sometimes, when using shorthand in our conversations about Experimental aviation, we use the term “barriers to entry” primarily in the context of money. And...
Defining “Done”
“Kerry, you know your airplane could be flying in two weeks.” That observation, offered by someone qualified to make the assessment, caught me off...
Positive Capture
Aircraft fasteners that are critical almost always have a positive capture design or mechanism.
Primer on Paint
Decisions, decisions. One of the blessings of building an airplane is the ability to dress it up any way you please. However, for those...
Excited About EFBs
Recently, I came across photos of my work in the 1990s, when I was with AOPA Pilot and often moving airplanes from coast to...
In Case You Missed It
Build, Test, Refine and Fix—Part 5: High AoA Pitch Characteristics
Evaluating pitch stability, stick force gradients, and pitch-up warnings in stall testing to ensure safe handling at high angles of attack.
The Staaken Z-21A Flitzer
Intended as an inter-war sportplane, the VW- or Jabiru-powered Staaken Flitzer delivers the goods in both performance and agility. These planes may not appear sleek, but they’re a blast to fly.
